Busy schedule for Lakers and Clippers continues when they meet on Christmas night at Staples Center

Lakers Coach Luke Walton believes in steadiness.

It tracks, then, that his message to his players as they came to the end of a disappointing trip was the same one he gave them earlier this year when the Lakers were one of the league’s pleasant surprises.

It came from a quote attributed to Larry Bird.

“Don’t let winning make you soft, don’t let losing make you quit,” Walton said. “I think it’s appropriate now that we’re losing. It was appropriate when we were winning and now it’s appropriate when we’re losing. We’re not going to quit, we’re going to keep fighting until we figure it out.”

Their 12 days on the road, the longest trip of the season, ended just before Christmas, and bore no golden rings or turtledoves – just five double-digit losses, two third-quarter collapses, one new noteworthy injury, and a single win against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Now they’ll return home to face one of the Western Conference’s best teams.

The chasm between where the Lakers and Clippers are now, relative to their respective histories, has never been greater than it is this season. The Clippers have owned this series against the Lakers in the last four seasons, winning 11 consecutive games and 15 of 16.

But as the Lakers ready to host the Clippers on Christmas, they have this in common: The NBA schedule has taxed both teams this month as they’ve worked through significant injuries.

“I’d be lying if I said I’m not tired,” Austin Rivers said late Friday night after the Clippers lost to Dallas. “I am a little tired. But, who am I to say I’m tired? You know what I mean? I could name you 10 players who have the burden of carrying their whole franchise every night. They’ve got to do it all 82 games. I don’t play 38 minutes a game.

“You suck it up and you keep playing. We have no time to complain. We have five games in a short amount of time coming up without Blake, possibly without CP, so we have to be ready to play regardless of who is on the floor. It is what it is.”

The Clippers will be without Blake Griffin (right knee surgery) and Chris Paul (strained left hamstring) has been listed as questionable for the Christmas night encounter with the Lakers.

The Lakers haven’t been healthy at all in December. While they should have all of their starters on Sunday, they’ll still be lacking.

Their most potent weapon early in the season was their second unit, and injuries have hit that group hard lately. Forward Larry Nance Jr. will have an MRI exam on Sunday to determine the extent of the knee injury he suffered on Tuesday in Charlotte. Center Tarik Black has been out nearly every game since spraining his ankle on Dec. 5. He is listed as questionable against the Clippers.

Compounding the strain of injuries for both teams has been a grueling schedule.

The Clippers played four games in six days last week, and they’ll play five in seven days next week. While they have the third-best record in the West, behind only the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs, the Clippers are just 8-7 in their last 15 games.

“It’s a lot of games. The NBA must love us,” center DeAndre Jordan said sarcastically. “They do. That’s why we play a lot.”

Considering how the Clippers have performed recently, this game against the Lakers means “nothing” because it’s just another team “we’ve got to try to beat,” Jordan said.

The Lakers are weary themselves. They have played 20 road games this season, and 33 overall – both totals the highest in the NBA.

By the end of Sunday, the Lakers will also have played four games in six days. Even if it isn’t easy, home still offers a respite.

“It’s always nice playing at home, especially for a young team,” Walton said. “Young guys seem to always play better in front of the home crowd. But it’s still not easy. We’ve got tough opponents.”

LAKERS VS. CLIPPERS

When: 7:30 p.m., Sunday.

Where: Staples Center.

On the air: TV: ESPN, Spectrum SportsNet, Spectrum Deportes, Prime; Radio: 570, 710, 1330.

Records: Lakers 11-22, Clippers 22-9.

Series record (2015-16): Clippers, 4-0.

Update: The Clippers have a long way to go before they catch up in the all-time series, but lately they have dominated the Lakers. Last season the Clippers had wins of 25 and 28 points against the Lakers. Both teams will be short-handed. The Clippers will be without Blake Griffin and point guard Chris Paul is questionable. The Lakers will be without second-unit forward Larry Nance Jr., and second-unit center Tarik Black is questionable.

tania.ganguli@latimes.com

Follow Tania Ganguli on Twitter @taniaganguli

broderick.turner@latimes.com

Follow Broderick Turner on Twitter @BA_Turner